Yesterday was a pretty normal, low-key hospital day, PTL. James got off of his chemo right on time and his blood draw went just like it is supposed to go (the first for us in a long time).
My parents came down from north Georgia/North Carolina for a visit. They brought a yummy lunch (sandwich fixings and a salad, chips and cookies and some fresh cut up fruit). We had a nice visit. Thanks Mom and Dad.
In the afternoon, James had an echocardiogram. Did you know that that is a sonogram of the heart? I didn't. I'm sure that he had one as a newborn (they always screen babies with Down syndrome because they have such a high rate of heart defects) but I wasn't there for it. It was wonderful to hear a strong little heartbeat--a lot like hearing your unborn baby during a prenatal check. James thought it was pretty neat to hear too. His heart still looks great. The cardiologist said he wished everybody's heart around here looked like James'. I just quietly hoped that James' heart would look just as good when we are done with chemo. At least one of the chemo drugs James is due to take in the near future can cause problems with the heart, so they like to have a baseline going in. Please pray that the Lord would protect James' heart from any damage by the chemo.
On Thursdays, they play bingo downstairs and everyone who plays wins. Those that can't go downstairs can watch on TV and play in their rooms. You just have to persevere enough to get through on the phone to tell them you got a bingo. That is something Hannah doesn't mind doing. So she played three rounds of bingo for James and called in to claim his prizes. A volunteer delivered a Blue's Clues coloring book, crayons, and his own personal copy of _Go, Dog. Go!_.
Last night the symptoms of mucusitis started up again. We started him up on regular doses of tylenol with codeine (T3). This morning it is becoming more apparent that he is having nausea, so he is also getting zophran. The T3 isn't quite covering his pain for the whole four hours, so the last 15-30 minutes James is a little extra needy. Right now, he is sleeping comfortably in Hannah's arms and we are waiting for his 48 hour blood draw at 11:05.
This morning, Stacy, his nurse practitioner, came by and went over the next four months of his road map with me. She told me what would normally be done in clinic, in the hospital and at home. She also told me what treatments could be delayed because of James' counts and when most children end up back in the hospital for unplanned stays due to fevers or other complications. That is a big help to me in beginning to wrap my brain around all that will need to be done over the next few months while preparing land, building a house, starting a new job (Vern's) and caring for a child undergoing chemotherapy!
With God, all things are possible!
Love, Stephanie
Update: James woke up from his nap and seemed to be feeling like the T3 had kicked in. Hannah took him for a ride in the little wheelchair we've been using for him this week and then came back to report that the nurse already drew his labs and gave him his leucovorin. In an hour or so, we should know if we can go home! Please continue to pray for no fever and no infection!
Friday, June 15, 2007
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